The Cold War and Air Raid Precautions

The chilling prospect of an attack by the Soviet Union
caused the provincial government to establish a Civil Defence Committee.
Air raid sirens were positioned in many city neighbourhoods and in larger
communities, air raid shelters were constructed.

In public schools, pupils were routinely drilled, so they would know how to respond during an attack. On hearing
the eerie wail of the air raid siren, pupils were supposed to make their way to
the nearest air raid shelter.

Click the speaker icon on the left to hear the eerie wail of a siren!

If pupils didn't have time to take shelter --
or if a shelter was not close by -- they were supposed to crawl under their desk.

In all cases, as this 1952 poster indicates, pupils were told - Keep Quiet,
Keep Calm, and Do What Your Teacher Tells You!